the Santa Apprentice
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: "Listen, you've got the wrong person! I can't be Santa Claus!" Or Jughead's grandfather is Santa Claus and wants to retire, leaving the family business to Jughead. He has to decide if he wants to become the next Santa or give it to somebody else. Along for the ride, is Betty Cooper. Santa's personal assistant in training. A Bughead Christmas story.
1. Chapter 1

_For my online friend, who has become a real life friend. She finally gave me the push to write this._

 **.**

 **Chapter 1 the Family Business**

"Listen, you've got the wrong person! I can't be Santa Claus!" Jughead Jones argued with the girl sitting across from him.

She tightened her already tight ponytail and shuffled the parchment paper around as she smiled at him. "You aren't the wrong person though! You're Noel's only male heir, you have to be Santa Claus!"

Jughead took a deep breath. "Listen, Miss—"

"Cooper," she reminded him. "But you can call me Betty. . . if you'd like."

"Listen, Miss Cooper, I'm really the last person who should be Santa Claus! I am not exactly jolly or filled with cheer and goodwill towards men. My grandfather knows this, he wouldn't make me take over for him. He wouldn't expect me to!"

"He doesn't expect anything of you!" Betty assured him. "It's just. . . he would like to retire soon and he's hoping you'll come apprentice with him to prepare for taking over the whole operation by next December."

"What happens if I say no?"

"If you say no, there are other applicants!" Betty replied, rearranging the paperwork again and snapping them a few times against the table.

Jughead reached out and stilled her wrists because it was starting to drive him nuts. She looked at him apologetically, dropped the papers on the table and folded her hands in her lap.

"Other applicants?" Jughead repeated.

"Oh come on, Mr. Jones, you know enough about the job to know you can't go and apply for it online! But there are others, grandchildren of your grandfather's friends. A few random do-gooders that's been on the nice list. But you are his first option, of course."

"You're new to the job," Jughead observed. "I haven't seen you before, my grandfather's assistant was. . . well, a little more. . . mature than you are. So, how did you get the job?"

"Well, like the Santa Claus position, it isn't exactly something you'd find on Career Finder," Betty laughed. "I mean, come on. Santa Claus Seeks Secretary wouldn't go over so well. It would probably attract a lot of. . . well, girls not looking for nice things. Being Santa's assistant is a job that the women on my mom's side of the family usually undertakes. The woman you were talking about is my grandmother, Gloria. She's ready to retire as well. So, she's training me to take over for her."

"Oh."

Jughead remembered Gloria, she had had an air of Meryl Streep elegance about her and had been every bit as pretty as Betty was. She always showed up when his grandparents had been visiting Riverdale, talking about a crisis at the factory or what shenanigans the elves were getting into, or Christmas next year when Christmas present was still 6 months away. She'd always brought presents with her, the latest toys for him and Jellybean to experiment with before sending them to all the other kids around the world.

And then, there had been the naughty and nice lists. Bound up in red, patent leather with gold pages and written in his grandfather's beautiful penmanship.

"I know your grandmother," Jughead told her. "But she never mentioned that she had grandchildren."

Betty shrugged. "My mom didn't want anyone to know we were related to her. You see, she's not really a Believer. She thinks the whole Santa thing is a bunch of fairy tales designed to trick kids into behaving themselves."

"I see. . ." Jughead trailed off. "So, are you the only girl on your mom's side of the family? Is that how you got the job?"

Betty shook her head. "No. I have a sister but she's a nurse and she has twins to take care of. She wasn't really interested in the job."

"But you were?"

Betty tugged on the collar of her red and green plaid button down. "I wanted to work in publishing. I interned with Toni Morrison when I was 15 and then every summer between the one I graduated from high school to college, I interned at Penguin Publishing."

"That's a lot of iced coffee," Jughead said.

Betty ignored at him and straightened the cuffs on her red sweater. "The past 5 years, I've been working on my dad and mom's paper as an editor but then my grandmother showed up and told me that it she wanted to move on from her job and take a break. So, here I am."

"Ruining my life," Jughead quipped.

Betty looked him straight in the eyes and raised a perfectly manicured brow. "Ruining your life? It doesn't seem like you're doing much with your life right now."

"I'm a writer," Jughead informed her.

"When was the last time you actually wrote something?"

Jughead stood up and poured himself another cup of coffee. "So, my grandfather's spying on me now?" he asked, leaning against the counter and studying her.

"He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. . ." Betty teased, faltering when she saw him scowling at her. "He wasn't spying. He's just concerned your life is stalled and he wants so much more for you than that."

"He wants me to be _Santa Claus_!" Jughead emphasized.

"You had to have known it was coming!" Betty shot back, standing up. "Surely he told you that one day you were going to take over for him."

"Did your grandmother tell you when you were growing up? _Betty, one day you are going to be Santa's personal assistant_?"

Betty sighed. "Point taken but remember, I wasn't exactly close to my grandmother because my mother disapproved of her. And in the end, we have an obligation to family. Do you really want your legacy handed over to somebody else!?"

"Let me think about that—"

"Just give it one holiday season!" Betty interjected desperately. "You can't reject it without at least giving it a chance! If in the end, you decide you're not interested in being Santa Claus then your grandfather will choose somebody else to do the job for you."

On the one hand, Jughead didn't want to disappoint his grandfather (and somewhere, deep down, he knew Betty was right. He didn't really want to see the family business handed over to some stranger) but on the other hand. . . he didn't know if he wanted to sign his life away for who knew how many years in the name of Christmas. It was just a trial basis though, he didn't have to make any life changing decisions quite yet.

He studied Betty, a girl who had probably given up everything she had wanted to follow in the footsteps of a woman she barely knew because it was tradition. He at least had gotten to develop a relationship with the man who was asking him to give up everything and follow in his footsteps. He respected and admired him, held him in one of the highest positions of esteem.

"Just this one season!" he finally relented.

Betty clapped her hands together excitedly. "Wonderful! Grandmother says a lot of our training will take place together. So, if there's anything you need. . . anything at all, just ask me and I'll do my best to see and make sure it gets done!"

 **.**

"Your grandparents brought a guest!" Jughead's mother, Gladys informed him when he came home for Thanksgiving on Wednesday night, she took his bag from him.

"Hello, Mr. Jones!" Betty said, coming out of the kitchen with a mixing bowl in her hands. Her hair was still in a ponytail, but she looked a little more relaxed in black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt.

"Betty's replacing Gloria as your grandfather's assistant," Gladys explained.

"I know, we've met," Jughead answered.

Betty nodded and continued to stir whatever it was that she was mixing. "We met on Monday," she added. "When I went to tell Jughead that Noel wanted him to take over the family business."

Gladys's eyes widened. "You mean. . . he actually agreed to it!? My dad had mentioned he was ready to retire and that he wanted Jughead to take over for him. I just never thought he'd actually agree to it. . ."

"He didn't," Betty replied, glancing at Jughead. "This Christmas is only going to be a trial basis only, to see if it's a good fit. Right, Mr. Jones."

"Forsythe!" Gladys said, following her son into his old bedroom. "Do you really want to lose the family business!?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't do it at all!" Jughead protested. "I'm just seeing if it's something I want to do before I commit the rest of my life to it!"

"I know you, Jughead. You're going to go into it determined to make everybody miserable, including yourself. If I know you and I do, you've probably already decided to say no! I'm begging you. . . as your mother, as somebody who loves my father dearly, to give it a chance. I know how much he wants to keep it in the family."

Jughead sighed, his mother was right. He was going to go through the motions, but when it was all said and done, he was going to tell his grandfather thanks but no thanks. . . now with her imploring, he had to really give it a chance before saying no.

"I'll do it," he agreed. "But only because you because you want me to and I don't want to disappoint Grandfather."

"I know you'll do the right thing," Gladys said, giving him a hug. "You're a good boy, Juggie. I'm counting on you to do the right thing."

The thing was Jughead wasn't sure he would do the right thing.

 **TBC. . .**

 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **This is only laying the groundwork for the story and seeing if there's any interest in the story. This is something I've wanted to write for about 7 years now, so I am really excited that I've found a fandom where it could work. Tell me what you think! I'm looking forward to hearing from you.**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **Holly, 11/18/2017**

 **P.S**

 **While we are on the subject of Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of my readers in the Bughead fandom for taking a chance on my stories this year. I am beyond grateful for each and every single one of you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Shout-Outs: UnaverageWriterFreak, Guest, and onewritergirl447**

 **Rated: T**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **.**

 **Chapter 2 Thanksgiving**

Jughead woke up on the living room couch on Thanksgiving morning to the Macy's Parade on TV and Betty banging around in the kitchen, he could distinctly smell pumpkin spice. He groaned and sat up, hoping she had at least made coffee to make up for all the racket she was making.

He stood up and pulled his blanket around his shoulders, going to see what she was doing. She was putting stuffed French toast onto a sizzling griddle in pajamas that had pumpkins on them, her hair was pulled in a messy bun and she was barefoot. She looked even less put together than she had the night before in leggings and a sweatshirt.

She looked up and saw him standing in the doorway. "Oh no, did I wake you up?" she asked.

"You didn't really. Kidz Bop atrocious cover of _Believer_ did," he answered, looking around the kitchen.

Betty dropped her fork into the egg mixture and went over to the cabinet. "I'm assuming you want coffee," she said as she pulled down his favorite mug and went over to a French press he'd never seen before. "Ivy said you're a _nightmare_ in the morning if you don't have caffeine."

Jughead took a cautious sip and was surprised to find that she had made it just the way he liked it, inky black and strong. "You're amazing," he said without thinking.

Betty smiled and quickly flipped the French toast before they burned. "That's what everyone tells me," she answered good-naturedly.

"So, I think I've gotten you all figured out," Jughead said when he'd started his second cup of coffee.

"Oh? And what do you think you've figured out, _Santa_?" Betty teased him as she put a large stack of pumpkin French toast in front of him and poured warm maple syrup over them.

Jughead's stomach growled, so instead of answering her right away, he picked up his fork and took a large bite. "These are good," he told her when he'd swallowed.

Betty sat down on the stool next to his. "Just wait until you try my chocolate peppermint waffles."

"I think I am going to like this arrangement," Jughead answered. "What else can you make?"

"Lots of stuff," Betty replied.

"Which brings me back to my original point! I've got you pegged!

Betty smiled. "Okay, impress me, Santa Claus."

"You haven't made a wrong move since kindergarten." Jughead took another bite. "You were probably an A+ student and were on every committee in high school while you managed to be a cheerleader and date the quarterback and assist with Sunday school every week. You planned a fabulous themed prom and managed to take home the title of prom queen in your senior year."

Betty shook her head. "No. No I _did_ plan the senior year but I did _not_ attend it. Nobody asked me to go and I thought it would be kind of pathetic going by myself after planning the whole thing. Besides, my name wasn't even on the ballot. And I think my mom would say that I'm making the wrong move _now_. She thinks the whole Santa Claus thing is a bunch of fairy tales. I bet she wishes that I'd take an antidepressant and settle into a neat little life."

Jughead frowned. "Antidepressants?"

Betty shrugged. "When any of us Cooper kids don't do anything according to _'The Plan'_ , we're having a breakdown. It's classic Alice Cooper shaming. Except becoming _Santa's_ personal assistant is worse than having babies out of wedlock or whatever it is my brother's doing right now. My mom can't very well say that her youngest is working in the North Pole with elves and reindeers and a man who's thought to be a children's story without sounding like _she_ needs a Percocet to her friends who stopped believing in Santa ages ago."

"Is that why you're here instead of with your family?" Jughead asked after a beat.

Betty took her hair down and tried to smooth it into submission before giving up and throwing it back into a bun. "Yeah. My grandmother's there though, trying to soothe things over for me." she released a deep breath. "It won't make a difference though. My mom hasn't ever listened to Gram, I don't think she'll start listening now. Especially not about something she feels so strongly about. . . I'm starting to sound redundant now. I'm sorry."

Jughead had the instinct to reach out and cover her hand with his. To offer her some kind of sage wisdom like his grandfather did with him and the dozens of people that he had come into contact with. Instead he ate some more French toast and laughed. "Too bad the roles aren't reversed," he said.

"Huh?" Betty asked.

"I mean. . ." Jughead trailed off. "What I should have said is, it's too bad your parents aren't as supportive as mine are of me. You should be supported, no matter what it is you want to do. . . or whatever it is you decide to do, especially if it's the right thing."

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Betty asked, smiling at him. "I could tell that you were struggling with what to say and how to say it. Just because you might be the next Santa Claus doesn't mean you have to be Oprah."

Jughead made a face. "Oprah? Really?"

"Doctor Phil?"

"I think Doctor Phil is worse, actually! How about not comparing me to the real life TV pop psychologists?

Betty nodded. "Okay, I can do that! Would you like something else to eat?"

Jughead's stomach growled approvingly at the _thought_ of more pumpkin pie French toast. He knew his grandfather had an amazing chef on staff at his house in the North Pole but he wondered if he would be able to persuade Betty to cook for him every once and awhile.

 **.**

" _Santa Claus!?"_ Archie said as he swallowed his hard apple cider, his eyes rounding. _"You!?"_

"You know my grandfather is Santa Claus!" Jughead replied.

"Yeah but I just thought he'd live forever," Archie replied.

Jughead rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I can't believe you're a grown man, Archie. Nobody lives forever, not even Kris Kringle."

"Are you going to do it? Are you going to take over the position?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Jughead asked. "I'm doing it on a trial basis, we'll see what happens at the end of December."

"What happens if you decide not to become Santa Claus? Does he just go away?"

Jughead rolled his eyes. "No. There's a list of other people who could possibly do it if I declined."

"I'm certain you'll do it!" Archie said confidently. "I know you and you always do the right thing to protect the family legacy."

Jughead sat back in his chair and grabbed one of the quiches his grandmother had made as an appetizer. As dumb as his best friend could be sometimes, there were other times he gave him something to think about. He'd never thought about losing the family legacy if he didn't accept the job as Santa Claus. It was a compelling reason to do it. . .

"What do you think about Betty?" Archie interjected into his musings.

"Betty?" Jughead asked, startled at the quick shift in the conversation. "What about her?"

Archie motioned to where Betty was mincing garlic and chatting with his girlfriend. "Well, she is kind of cute."

"She's really pretty," Jughead conceded. "But I know what you're thinking and she's totally off-limits. I'm going to be working with her."

"I think rules like that don't apply in the North Pole. What do the elves do if they're not allowed to date each other?"

Jughead sighed and took a sip of his own hard apple cider. In one sentence, Archie's spaciness had returned.

"You know they aren't like Keebler elves or the kind you see in the movies," Jughead told him.

"How would I know _that_? You've never invited me to the North Pole for a visit when you went!" Archie retorted.

"Well, it isn't exactly the kind of place you go for spring break!"

"It would have been more fun than any of the stuff we actually did on spring break, which by the way was absolutely _nothing_!" Archie said.

Jughead shrugged. "You could have invited yourself to come along for a visit. Nobody would have stopped you, you know."

Archie huffed. "Stop changing the subject! I want to know what you think about Betty! Would you consider dating her?"

Jughead wanted to tell him that they'd only met on Monday, so he had no idea if he'd date her or not. But it didn't exactly ring true, since he'd just read her almost accurately a few hours before. It still wasn't enough information to make a decision about whether or not he'd form a relationship with her but. . .

"If the working together thing wasn't an issue, I might ask her out to get coffee or drinks," Jughead finally replied. "But only because I want to find out what her favorite book is or what she likes to watch on TV. If I liked the answers, I might even ask her what she likes to listen to."

"Listen, having things in common are important but look, Ronnie and I are total opposites and we get along really well!"

"I thought the thing you have in common with Veronica is how great she finds _you_."

"Haha, very funny!" Archie quipped.

"It might only be surpassed by how great you both think she is!"

Archie huffed again. "Would you knock it off?"

Jughead chuckled and took a handful of mixed, spiced nuts. He tossed them in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "I wonder if I do become Santa if I'll _have_ to get married eventually."

"Have you _ever_ heard of a story where Santa Claus doesn't have a wife?"

"Both versions of Miracle on 34th Street," Jughead answered automatically

"BUT they never say he _isn't_ married either!" Archie pointed out. "Anyways, let's go and watch the game with our dads."

Jughead stopped him. "Hold on a second. I need you to do me a favor."

Archie sighed. "What is it?"

"Don't go around telling everybody I'm training to be Santa Claus. I know you have a tendency to gossip—"

"It's not _really_ gossip—"

"And this is a delicate situation. A lot of people don't believe in my grandfather and I think it would be best if we kept this whole thing under wraps."

"I haven't really talked about my _personal_ belief in Santa Claus since Chuck beat me up in 9th grade because he _thought_ I believed in Santa," Archie said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Trust me when I say, _this_ secret is safe with me."

"You can't even tell Veronica!" Jughead pressed.

"Veronica and I don't keep secrets from each other though!" Archie protested. "What do you want me to do? Lie to her?"

"How can you lie if it doesn't come up?"

"Oh, I don't know! Maybe she'll say _so what did you and Jughead talk about while you waited for dinner?_ and then you'll probably just tell her all about it then."

"Fine! I won't tell her!"

"At least until you know what her stance on Santa Claus is and if I'm actually going to do it. I don't think you should keep it from her forever since you know, you shouldn't _lie_ when you're in a relationship. Not even by omission. But just. . . just keep it between us for now. Okay?"

"Okay," Archie agreed. "But you have to promise me that if you do become Santa Claus then you'll _finally_ invite me to the North Pole for a visit."

"I promise _if_ I become Santa then you will be one of my first visitors!" Jughead assured him.

 **TBC. . .**

 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yeah, I'm not** _ **that**_ **happy with this chapter BUT I've been busy with work and the holidays and exhausted afterwards. So, I guess I just have to put what I've got out there and hope for the best. Really, I can't wait to actually get into this story because I have so many ideas for it. Thanks so much if you've already taken a chance on this, I hope you continue to read it and to tell me what you think.**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **Holly, 11/26/2017**


	3. Chapter 3

**Shout-outs: blueeyes-love-greeneyes, cailley1995, and DragonEmperor999**

 **Rated: T**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

 **.**

 **Chapter 3**

The morning after Thanksgiving, Betty woke Jughead up at an ungodly hour _again_. This time, she threw clothes at him and told him to get dressed because they had things to do before they left. He groaned, he'd almost forgotten today was the day they were moving to the North Pole for the month of December.

He grumbled as he sat up and pulled on the plaid flannel Betty had chucked at him. He was _not_ the "up and at 'em" type, not even for his grandfather or a perky blonde assistant.

"What's so important that I had to get up _right_ now?" he asked when he joined her in the kitchen, expecting her to be whipping up breakfast but she hadn't even made coffee yet.

"We have to get going!" Betty answered as she put her coat on. "We'll stop and get breakfast on the way to the airport."

Jughead was suddenly more awake. "I know a place!" he told her.

 **.**

Except for a woman and her daughter, Pop's was fairly empty when they got there because everybody was probably Black Friday shopping. He and Betty grabbed his favorite booth.

"I'll order breakfast," he told her. "I mean, if you don't mind. I'm sure you're a strong independent woman who can order her own breakfast—"

Betty laughed. "Juggie, it's _okay_! You can order my breakfast without me thinking it's patriarchal! But I appreciate that you're conscious about that kind of stuff. My last boss wasn't and he was a nightmare to work for—"

"Jughead Jones, I can't believe you're here _this_ early!" Pop Tate interjected as he came up to their booth with a pot of coffee in one hand and two mugs in another one. "And you have company! Who's this lovely young lady you brought with you this morning?"

"Pop, this is Betty Cooper. . . she's my. . . she's going to be my grandfather's new assistant," Jughead introduced. "Betty, this is Pop Tate. He makes the best burgers in Riverdale and maybe the whole United States."

"Pleasure to meet you, Betty!" Pop said, smiling at her. "Coffee?"

"Same goes for you!" Betty replied warmly. "And I would love some coffee!"

"So, your grandfather has a new assistant. Does that mean Gloria is finally going to retiring?" Pop asked as he poured coffee and then pulled out his notepad to take their order.

Betty nodded.

"Betty is Gloria's granddaughter," Jughead added. "She's in the family business, so to speak."

"All the women on my mom's side of the family usually takes over the position. Except my mother passed the opportunity. She thinks Santa Claus is just a story to keep kids from misbehaving during the holidays. She's currently not speaking to me. Jughead's lucky, his family took his news much better than mine did."

Pop raised an eyebrow, his pen poised, asking what they wanted to eat forgotten. "News? What news are we talking about?"

"Jughead is Santa-in-training!"

"Thinking about taking over your own family business?"

"Something like that," Jughead replied. "Could we please have some pancakes, hash browns, and eggs with extra crispy bacon?"

"The usual it is," Pop answered. "I'll have that right out for the both of you."

"Is it safe to assume that Pop's a believer?" Betty asked when he had disappeared.

Jughead sipped his coffee and nodded. "More than that, he's one of my grandfather's oldest friends—"

"Excuse me!" a tiny voice interjected.

Jughead turned to look at who was talking to him. It was the little girl from the counter. She was studying him with a determined look in her hazel eyes. He felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny and wondered _why_ she was talking to _him_.

"Um. .. yes?" he asked.

"Hi! My name's Giselle and I'd like a vintage Barbie Dreamhouse for Christmas!"

"A _what_ now?" Jughead asked, confused.

"A vintage Barbie Dreamhouse!" Giselle repeated. "I've been _very_ good this year!" she added earnestly.

Jughead didn't know how to react but thankfully Betty jumped in and saved him. She took a candy cane out of her purse and handed it over to the other blonde girl.

"If you continue to be a very good girl for the rest of December, you'll definitely get a Barbie Dreamhouse!" she promised.

"What's a Barbie Dreamhouse?" Jughead asked.

"I thought you had a sister," Betty said as she opened her purse again and pulled out a handful of catalogues.

"She's more punk princess than pretty in pink," Jughead replied.

"Take these and study them," Betty told him. "It's this year's hottest toys and electronics."

Jughead took the thick pile of toy catalogues and stacked them next to his elbow. "I wonder how she knew to ask _me_ for a Christmas present," he mused.

Betty grinned. "I guess you just have that certain something."

"I never did before!" Jughead protested.

"You might have and you just didn't notice it," Betty said.

Jughead shook his head. "No, I _definitely_ would have noticed if kids randomly came up to me and asked me for presents! That was more of my grandfather's field." he paused and laughed. "You should have seen the line around the park when he visited one summer. You would have thought we were in the mall on Christmas Eve but really it was July 24th. And he always knew the right thing to say when we were sick or sad or when things weren't going the way we wanted them to."

"You'll figure it out," Betty told him. "The right thing to say, I mean. Eventually all the pieces will fall into place."

Jughead looked at her. "Why are you so certain I'm the right man for the job?"

"If you weren't the right man for the job, would you be here right now?" Betty asked.

Jughead was saved from answering by the arrival of Pop with their breakfast.

When they were finished eating, Pop made a big show of telling Jughead goodbye. He hugged him and told him how much he had appreciated him as a customer over the years and to come back for a visit when he was stateside and he would give him all the burgers he could eat.

For some reason, the moment felt final, like he really was going away forever and not just for the month. He hugged Pop back and told him that he'd see him again soon.

 **.**

They got to the airport with plenty of time to spare until they were supposed to leave. Betty went to Dunkin Donuts and got two large brown sugar cinnamon iced coffees and to the gift shop where she bought a variety of magazines and a couple of thick books to have on hand. Jughead watched their suitcases until she returned.

She plopped down in the seat next to him and handed him a family sized bag of cheddar Chex mix. "You're probably hungry again by now," she explained when he gave her a questioning look. "Ivy said that you could be a bottomless pit."

"I am!" Jughead answered, surprised at how thoughtful she was.

"Jughead Jones, you haven't changed a bit!"

Jughead stood up and beamed when he saw a red-headed man coming towards them in a green sweater vest and red jeans. "Calvin! It's been too long!"

Calvin embraced him and then turned to look at Betty. "You must be Elizabeth! Gloria and Noel have told us all about you. I'm looking forward to working with you."

"This is Calvin," Jughead introduced. "He's my grandfather's—"

"Head elf," Betty finished for him as she jumped to her feet. "I know, my grandmother has told _me_ a thing or two about you guys as well! It's good to meet you, Calvin!"

"You too, Elizabeth!" Calvin said. "Are you two to leave? NP Air is ready for takeoff!"

 **.**

With a little bit of magic, they were in the North Pole in a few hours.

Calvin handed them each a heavy duty parka and thick gloves. "You're going to need them," he said.

"I've been here before in August," Jughead reminded him as he helped Betty into her coat first. "I know how cold it is."

Betty zipped up and smiled at him as she put on earmuffs. "Thank you," she said.

Jughead returned her smile. "You're welcome."

Calvin checked his phone. "Snowflake should be here to pick us up any minute now," he told them as he led them out onto the tarmac.

Jughead nodded and pulled his scarf over his mouth. "Snowflake is Calvin's wife, they've been together forever. Nobody at the North Pole could survive without them. Not even my grandfather."

"Now, now! I was just a boy when Noel took his turn as Santa. He certainly got along well enough without me then."

"I hope _you're_ not planning on retiring though. I don't think _I_ could get along without you!"

"That's if you even stay," Calvin said. "Word around the toy shop is that you're only doing this on a trial basis. And even if you do decide to take over for your grandfather, I'm going to retire eventually and you will do just fine, Mister Jones!"

Betty giggled and Jughead stuck his tongue out at her.

Calvin's phone went off and he checked it again. "Snowflake's out front," he said. "Come along you two! We'll have you settled in the Village in no time at all."

 **.**

Snowflake was waiting for them in front of a bright red Land Rover. She was a petite blonde with a rosy complexion and sparkling eyes, her white parka swallowed her whole. Jughead dropped his suitcase and went right over to her to give her a huge hug.

"Hi sweetie! I'm so glad you're finally here!" Snowflake said, patting him on the back before pushing him back to look at him. "You've gotten so tall and so handsome!" she looked over his shoulder at Betty. "And such a pretty young lady we have here! You must be Gloria's granddaughter. I can see the family resemblance!"

"This is Elizabeth," Calvin said. "She's the new assistant!"

" _But_ you can call me Betty!" she added, coming over to shake Snowflake's hand.

"Betty!" Snowflake repeated. "It's so good to meet you!"

 **TBC. . .**

 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Next chapter, we will finally get to the North Pole! My life is** _ **crazy**_ **busy right now between work and the holidays and my nephew is almost ready to make his appearance in the world! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I certainly enjoyed writing it. If you're wondering, I'm picturing the Elves as petite, pretty people but not like. . . midgets, if that makes sense. Hope you'll tell me what you thought! I've started the next chapter as you read this.**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **Holly, 12/3/2017**


	4. Chapter 4

**Shout-outs: cailley1995, DragonEmperor999, and the Flying Hawaiian 001**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Rated: T**

 **.**

 **Chapter 4 the North Pole**

When Betty was a little girl, her parents had taken her and her sister to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee as part of their Christmas present as an alternative to going to Disney World like they'd been nagging to do for a better part of the year.

Polly had grumbled most of the plane ride that it wouldn't be as good as going to Florida. But Betty had used her screen time to research the other theme park and had been thrilled to find out like Disney World, every inch of Dollywood would be decked out in Christmas lights. By the time they were boarding the plane, she was beside herself with excitement over the kettle corn, the nightly train rides through the park, and the possibility that Dolly Parton could show up at any given moment.

It had rivaled Disney World in the best possible way.

But not even Dollywood could compare to Santa's Village.

Betty's mouth dropped open when she saw it through her window for the first time. All the books and movies in the world couldn't prepare her for how beautiful it was in real life. It glittered and glowed even in the daylight, the whole place was a flurry of activity as the elves hurried around, polishing and decorating.

There was a banner stretched across Noel and Ivy's house, _WELCOME TO THE NORTH POLE, JUGHEAD AND BETTY!_ was painted on it in sparkly red letters. The doors to the main house flew open and Jughead's grandparents both came outside wearing large, red velvet coats trimmed with white fur.

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" Noel burst out. "Welcome to you both! So glad you could be with us this holiday season! Calvin if you would go and hitch up the sleigh, we can give these two the tour of the old place!"

"Right away," Calvin answered.

"I'll get some of the other girls to take care of your suitcases," Snowflake told them as she got out of the car.

"And I'll have hot chocolate waiting for you when you get back," Ivy added, greeting her grandson with a kiss. "Welcome, to our home, Betty! Your grandmother will be back from vacation on Monday, for now you're going to have to put up with me and Noel!"

"That's fine!" Betty assured her.

"We're going to have a grand time!" Ivy informed her.

"Trust me, if my grandparents know how to do anything, it's how to have a good time!" Jughead said.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from Mr. and Mrs. Claus," Betty replied, smiling at him.

A few seconds later, Calvin showed up with the sleigh that was being drawn by two beautiful Clydesdales horses. "All aboard!" he called out, his breath coming out in white puffs.

"We'll be back soon, sugarplum!" Noel said, kissing Ivy on the mouth. "Now, Jughead, help Betty into the sleigh. It may be the 21st century but chivalry is not dead here. I am not being offensive, am I? I know you ladies like your independence."

"Not at all," Betty answered. "I may be a strong, independent woman but I do like a helping hand every now and then!"

"Help her out Juggie!" Noel said as he climbed into the front of the sleigh and took his iPhone out of his coat pocket. He plugged it into the AUX cord and scrolled through his Spotify until he came to the _This is Santa_ playlist. He hit play and turned it up loudly. "Everybody strapped in?"

"Almost," Betty replied as she tucked the blanket around her and Jughead's legs. "Okay, we're good to go!"

"Let's get this show on the road!" Noel said to Calvin, hitting the side of the sleigh with one gloved hand.

Calvin nodded and clucked his tongue at the horses. "C'mon Maggie, Felix! You know the way!"

The horses started off with a gallop while Noel sang along with the song coming from the speakers in a deep, baritone voice, his voice echoing off the trees. _"It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you!"_

 **.**

The first stop was at the candy factory where an elf with pink hair in a fishtail braid and a peppermint disc tattoo on her wrist was mixing up a batch of chocolate.

"This is Dulcie," Noel said. "She makes the most amazing candy in the whole entire world. Does anybody want a taste test?"

"You know _I'm_ game!" Jughead answered. "Betty?"

"The most amazing candy in the whole entire world? How can any girl. . . no, how can _anyone_ resist that?" Betty replied.

Dulcie smiled as she stood up and straightened her skinny jeans. "Samples, coming right up!"

"I can't believe Dulcie is old enough to have a job," Jughead said when she had disappeared into the back room. "It seems like just yesterday she was running around with JB, causing absolute chaos in the toy factory."

Dulcie came back with a tray and held it out to them. "Freshly made chocolate, it's a little something I like to whip up for the adults. These ones have dark chocolate, bourbon, and salted caramel." she pulled two wrapped candies from her apron pocket. "Noel, Calvin, these are for you. Your grandfather is watching is sugar intake and chocolate has been giving Cal migraines lately," she explained to Jughead and Betty.

Betty pulled out a notebook and pen then jotted down _Noel, watching sugar intake_ _!_ and _Calvin, migraines!_

"Betty, you can do that _later_!" Jughead said snatching the notebook from her hand and shoving his candy bar in her mouth. "There's _chocolate_!"

Betty covered her mouth and chewed, nodding. "Yum. Dulcie, this is really good!"

"But now we need to get to the next leg of our tour," Calvin said. "You can both come back later, if you would like."

"I'll even have more things for you to try," Dulcie told them.

The next stop was the barn where a chunky elf named Burl was taking care of the reindeer. They had a quick run through there and then were whisked off to the toy factory where they were met by Scotty and Charlie, a pair of twins who were in charge of overseeing the whole thing.

"Did you see Dulcie?" Were the first words out of Charlie's mouth. "How is she?"

Scotty rolled his eyes. "Charlie's in love with Dulcie-"

"Am not!" Charlie interjected.

"Are too!"

Noel put his hands up. "Enough!" he ordered. "Why don't you two show Jughead and Betty around the factory? Make sure Jug here has a really good grasp of what's going on."

Jughead had seen the factory plenty of times growing up but this was his first time looking at it as somebody who could potentially take over it for his grandfather one day. He was thankful that Betty was beside him, scribbling away in her notebook while Charlie and Scotty explained logistics to him.

He had played video games with Charlie and Scotty, they'd been great for a laugh when they were kids. He hadn't ever imagined them growing up and becoming such a vital part of the North Pole. but there they were, going on and on about toys like they were _the_ experts on the subject.

And Charlie had a crush on Dulcie. It didn't seem possible, he could remember the stories about how much she had annoyed him in school. He'd been a class clown and she had been a tattle tale.

"Are you still with us?" Betty whispered.

"You could give me the Reader's Digest Condensed version afterwards," he whispered back.

Betty shook her head. "Pay attention! I'm going to quiz you on this later."

When he started to really listen, he got so many ideas to improve things and that was the last thing he wanted. He didn't want to get comfortable and he didn't want to make a mark or improvements when he wasn't going to stay.

 **.**

They went back to the main house and Ivy was waiting for them with hot chocolate like she promised. When they were all settled in the living room. Betty had a lot of questions, she asked about concert tickets and Amazon orders and things they couldn't possibly make with their resources.

Jughead was amazed by how she was embracing her new life so quickly. He was still resisting every step of the way. But at the same time, her enthusiasm for the job was catching.

He would never admit that to anyone aloud though.

 **TBC. . .**

 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **There will be a slight time jump next chapter. You won't miss anything important, just stupid logistical stuff that the story doesn't need. I hope you're all doing well and keeping safe and healthy this holiday season. You're all in my thoughts! I promise that isn't a bribe to get you to review this chapter. But at the same time, I hope you will review and tell me what you thought. Also, sorry for the lateness of this chapter, my life is still insane and I do not see it calming down anytime soon.**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Lots of Love,**

 **Holly, 12/11/2017**


	5. Chapter 5

**Shout-outs: cailley1995, jojrre, Written-in-hearts, and DrangonEmperor999**

 **Rated: T**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **.**

 **Chapter 5 the Apprentices**

"What are you up to?" Jughead asked as he came into his grandfather's office and shook the snow from his hair. They had been in the North Pole for almost three weeks and they were still trying to find where they fit in

Betty rubbed her temples and took off her reading glasses. "Going over the naughty and nice list. It's _so_ boring and over the top, board line ridiculous! There's a girl in Atlanta, her name is Carol and she's on the nice list. Not because she's a nice person. No! She memorized a bunch of Bible verses for Sunday school and she's a straight A student but she's not really _nice_. She's kind of a tattle tale and she always tries to blame shift when she does something naughty. Not to mention her wish list is about ten miles long."

"My grandfather doesn't really have a naughty list," Jughead explained. "He thinks Christmas is a time for grace."

"And what do you think?"

"I think there are some really good kids in the world. Sure, they're going to complain sometimes or not pick up their rooms, or maybe they'll talk back to their parents or not be nice to their brothers and sisters. But that's human nature. I don't think you should penalize them for that. But there are the really bad kids, the one who bully other kids. The ones who are disrespectful to their parents and teachers and lie all the time. I can't see how they should be on the nice list."

"And Noel does?"

"Grandpa definitely has exceptions to his no-naughty list rule even though he hates it," Jughead answered. "He's not an idiot."

Betty nodded and made doodles in the margins of the naughty list with the quill pen she was holding.

"How about you blow off the list making and we go for a sleigh ride?" Jughead suggested, changing the subject. "We've been doing all work and no play forever now."

Betty sighed. "That sounds lovely but—"

Gloria came into the office with a large cup of coffee in her hand. "How's it going in here, sweetie?"

"Fine," Betty replied.

Gloria glanced over at Jughead. "Oh, hello Forsythe. Did Noel send you to hang out with us today? I know he mentioned he wanted us to have a meeting at some point."

Jughead shook his head. "No. I just came to see Betty, that's all."

"Do you have anything to do today? If you don't, you are more than welcome to stay here and help Elizabeth out here."

Jughead could see why Gloria was so good at her job and why she worked so well with his grandparents. She was no-nonsense to their fun-loving, carefree attitude. But at the same time, she possessed a certain sense of warmth and gentleness. Which, he supposed you needed when you worked with Santa Claus.

"Actually, I was wondering if Betty could possibly take a break and go for a ride with me. There's something I'd like to show her."

Gloria looked taken aback for a second and then she glanced at her wristwatch. "Oh! I didn't even notice it was noon! Sweetie, you should have said something! You've been working for hours without so much as stopping to get coffee. Go on! Run off for a while and make sure you eat something while you're gone. The same goes for you, Forsythe. You two need to make sure you take care of yourselves or you'll be useless!"

"Don't worry about it, Gloria! Eating is one of my favorite things to do, I can't even remember the last time I missed a meal!"

Gloria looked at Betty. "I feel like I'm _always_ reminding this girl to eat. She gets so sidetracked when she's busy though."

Jughead wrapped his arm around Betty and led her out of the office. "Don't worry, I'll feed her!"

"Can you cook?" Betty asked.

"Can I cook? Can _I_ cook?" Jughead repeated. "I know my way around the kitchen. Somebody had to feed me in college and after a while, I got sick of a steady diet of Ramen and Coke."

"So, impress me, what are you going to cook for me this afternoon?"

"Grilled cheese," Jughead replied.

Betty burst out laughing. "Grilled cheese?"

"Not just any grilled cheese," Jughead answered as he pulled out three kinds of cheeses and bacon from the fridge.

"That looks incredibly unhealthy," Betty said.

"You're not some sort of health nut, are you? Because I don't think I can be your friend if you're some kind of health food, Pilate's junkie."

Betty shrugged and sat down on a bar stool at the island. "I like to eat well and work out when I can but it's not like I'm obsessed." she blushed and lowered her voice. "I've gained five pounds since we got here. It's all of Dulcie's chocolate."

Jughead raised an eyebrow as he started to cut slices of bread. "You don't look like you've gained five pounds."

"Well, I _have_! And I'm starting to break out too!" Betty sighed. "Are you sure the North Pole doesn't have a gym or even a yoga instructor?"

Jughead laughed this time. "Have you seen my grandfather?"

"We should go for a run sometime," Betty mused as she stood up and got some apples from the fruit basket, she cut them into rounds.

"Archie tried to get me to go the gym with him one time, I almost died!"

Betty snorted. "I bet you did."

"I was on the treadmill for two minutes and I almost collapsed."

"That's because you're out of shape," Betty informed him as she found a plate and arranged the apple slices on it. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"That would be a first. You haven't gone easy on me this whole time we've been here," Jughead said as he heated up the frying pan and buttered the bread before plopping them down in the pan. "I'm going to omit the bacon just this _once_."

Betty grinned. "I'll make a salad."

Jughead pulled a face. "You do realize that is rabbit food, right?"

"It's good for you!"

"The next thing I know, you're going to have me taking vitamins after breakfast," Jughead commented.

"Awww, look at the two of you, arguing like an old married couple!"

" _Grandma!"_ Jughead groaned.

"Careful! You don't want to burn your grilled cheese!" Ivy said, grinning at him.

Jughead lowered the flame and flipped it over just in the nick of time. He looked at them sheepishly. "Whoops."

"Did I interrupt anything?" Ivy asked.

"We were just taking a break to eat a little lunch and go on a sleigh ride," Jughead told her. "Are you hungry? I think there's enough for three of us."

"Oh, I'm going to pop over to the office and have lunch with your grandfather! You two enjoy yourselves though!" Ivy waved and disappeared.

Jughead turned to Betty. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay! I'm used to your grandparents by now!" Betty assured him. "They've been teasing us pretty much since the first night we got here."

Jughead watched her as she tore up lettuce, she was wearing an oversized white, cable-knit sweater and hunter green skinny jeans with red, brand-name rubber boots. He's started to get to know her really well while they've worked together and he had started to realize if he'd met her at a bar or something, she would definitely be the kind of person he would want to date. She was beautiful, funny, and kind. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Archie saying _I told you so!_

"Are you enjoying it?" Jughead asked, changing the subject. "Or do you miss what you used to do before you were here?"

"I can't say I exactly miss all the grunt work I had to put in at the Register, no."

"Grunt work, kind of like what you were doing with the naughty and nice lists before I rescued you!"

"Your grandfather is a lot more fun to work for than my parents were," Betty said as she added tomatoes and cucumbers to the salad. "How about you? Are you enjoying it?"

"I am," Jughead admitted. "I'm enjoying it a lot more than I thought I would and I've been inspired to write too."

"What kind of murderous stories have you dug up while we've been here?" Betty teased.

"Surprisingly, none of these plots include murder. There more about Santa's adventures."

"No one's going to believe the hardboiled author of New York Time's best-selling murder mystery is writing books geared towards middle-schoolers!"

"Would you like to read what I have so far, sometime?" Jughead asked as he put their grilled cheese on plates.

All the teasing left Betty and she looked touched. "You trust me enough to let me read your work?"

Jughead nodded. "I do."

"I'd love to read it!"

After they'd eaten, they cleaned up their mess and then Jughead helped Betty into her parka before putting on his own coat. She pulled on a red, slouchy beanie and white gloves then they trekked to the barn where Burl had hitched up the sleigh for them.

"You ready to see my favorite place in the whole North Pole?" Jughead asked.

Betty nodded. "Do you actually know how to drive this thing?"

"Betts, did you _forget_ who my grandfather is? I've been coming here for as long as I can remember! Of course I know how to drive a sleigh. If you don't trust me, we can get the snow mobiles out because I know how to work those too."

"No! This is fine!" Betty answered as Jughead clicked his tongue and the horses started to trot. "So, is your favorite spot in the North Pole the Northern Lights?"

Jughead shook his head, looking slightly horrified at the notion. "First of all, that's the most _cliché_ thing ever! Second of all, it's not even dark enough to see the Northern Lights yet!"

Betty laughed. "You're a cliché if you think the Northern Lights being your favorite spot in the North Pole is a cliché," she told him.

"Trust me, what I'm about to show you is better than that!" Jughead assured her. He stopped in front of a beautiful, brick building on the outskirts of Santa's Village a few minutes later and extracted a ring of keys from his coat pocket.

"What is this place?" Betty asked as he helped her out of the sleigh, she looked up, the stories seemed to go on forever.

"It's the library," Jughead replied as he led her through the snow and up the stairs. "It has every book you could ever possibly want to read. But nobody runs it anymore since the last librarian died." he unlocked the door and let her inside, turning the lights on. "We could find somebody to run it again. . ."

Betty looked at him. "Are you planning on staying?"

"I-I don't know anymore," Jughead confessed. "I saw some of the guys who came to get a tour yesterday, the ones who could possibly replace me if I decide not to be Santa Claus and I just. . . I don't know how I feel about giving up the family business, Betty. It isn't sitting right with me."

"You're going to make the right decision," Betty said confidently. "You're Noel's grandson, I know you'll do the right thing and I'm going to be here for you the whole time."

Jughead started to walk towards her, pulling off his gloves as he did. "Is that a promise?"

"Yes it is! I'm not going anywhere!" Betty answered, lifting her chin so their eyes could meet.

Jughead leaned in and kissed her.

 **TBC. . .**  
 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Two more chapters to go and we're done. I hope you'll stick with me until the end, I promise it'll be worth it! If you liked this chapter, tell me what you thought! I love hearing from you guys. And in case anyone was wondering, Santa looks like Richard Attenborough and Mrs. Claus is Dianne Wiest!**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Love,**

 **Holly, 12/16/2017**


	6. Chapter 6

**Shout-Outs: Guest, DragonEmperor999, cailley1995, and Written-in-hearts**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

 **Rated: T**

 **.**

 **Chapter 6 the Christmas Ball**

Betty pulled away, looking slightly shocked. "Jughead—"

He cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry. . . I probably shouldn't have done that."

She shook her head. "No. No, that was okay!" she assured him, when he still looked uncertain, she leaned in and kissed _him_ , his hand automatically went to her waist and she placed her hand on his cheek, she released a breath. "See? I really don't mind!"

"You're so beautiful," Jughead told her. "I thought so the second I saw you standing on my doorstep."

"I didn't know how I was going to get out of this without having a crush on you," Betty replied. "I told myself not to like you as more than a colleague and even as a friend but I am terrible at protecting my heart."

"I'm really good at it," Jughead answered. "Except there's just something about you. . . I couldn't help myself."

Betty smiled at him and sighed. "So, what does this mean for us? If you decide not to become Santa and I stay here in the North Pole. I know a kiss doesn't make a person a couple but if we wanted to. . . if we wanted to give it a shot, having a long distance relationship this way would definitely be harder than if I lived in New York City and you lived in Riverdale."

"How did your grandparents do it?" Jughead asked.

"I don't know," Betty admitted. "Like I said, we never saw them much growing up because mom was embarrassed by my grandmother's lifestyle. I imagine he lived here with her though. But wouldn't that be awkward for you? Living here while somebody else did the job you were supposed to? Forget it! We can cross that bridge when we get to it! We still have the next few weeks to get through and you still have a decision to make. Besides, you haven't even taken me out on a real date."

"Technically dating is for people who want to get to know each other better," Jughead reminded her. "I already know what you look like in the morning when you wake up and how you take your coffee. I know the important stuff like how you want to do what you want to do but please your family at the same time. You know all the important stuff about _me_. I have fun with you when we're together—"

Betty's phone going off interrupted him. She dug into her coat pocket and pulled it out. "It's Dulcie, she wants to know if we're interested in trying out some desserts for the Christmas ball," she told him. "We'll finish this conversation later?"

Jughead reluctantly let her go, he would have been content to spend the whole day with her in arms, discussing their future. But at the same time, he couldn't ever pass up free dessert even if it did mean relinquishing Betty Cooper.

He kissed her again.

"To be continued," she promised as she linked their hands together.

 **.**

"This can't possibly be work," Jughead said as they sampled Dulcie's desserts. "Here, try the candy cane buttercream frosting."

Betty took a spoonful from the mixer and nodded. "Usually things like this end up tasting like toothpaste but this is good!"

"So, does any of it work for the Christmas ball?" Dulcie asked, leaning against the counter and looking between them.

"You mean I have to sign off on these?" Jughead's eyes went wide.

"If you're anything like your grandfather, you know dessert!" Dulcie replied. "So, what do you like so far?"

"He wants you to make everything," Betty answered for him as she grinned at Jughead.

"That would be nice," Jughead agreed. "But I know. . . I know the drill. You can only make a few things from everything here."

"But only because we still have to get ready for the holidays!" Dulcie said, standing up straight and reaching for one of her many pink Kitchen-Aids.

Jughead nodded. "Tell me about it."

Dulcie smirked. "So, since Betty is the only other young human around here, I think you should be her escort to the Christmas ball."

"Oh, you do, do you?" Jughead asked.

Dulcie nodded and started to cream butter and sugar together. "It would be the sweetest thing! Betty, if you need a dress, I'm sure Snowflake could whip something up for you in the blink of an eye!"

"We've been working on a little something already," Betty assured her. "My grandmother told me that I'd be required to go. Date or not."

"Do you have a date, Dulcie?" Jughead asked. "Maybe I'll take you!"

"Very funny, Jughead. No offense or anything but you're like a brother to me. It would be kind of weird if you too me as your date."

Jughead sighed. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to bring you after all, Betty. That is if you want to go with me."

Betty beamed at him. "I would _love_ to go with you!" she said.

 **.**

Jughead fidgeted with his bowtie for the millionth time. He hadn't even worn a tuxedo when he'd gone to prom, he had no clue how Snowflake had convinced him to wear one to the Christmas ball. He would have been much more at home in his beat up Converse sneakers and worn-in jeans.

Calvin poked his head in the doorway. "You clean up nicely," he said.

Jughead turned around and smiled wryly. "Thank you. I can't say this is the most comfortable I've ever been though."

"It'll only be for a few hours," Calvin assured him. "I brought you a couple things to make you feel a little more at ease though."

"I don't think that's possible," Jughead said.

"Try these on," Calvin answered, handing him a shoe box with the Converse logo on both sides.

Jughead sat down on the edge of his bed and opened the lid. Inside was a brand-new pair of Christmas green Converse sneakers that looked like they were his exact size. "You said there was something else?"

"Ah yes, I believe you know this fellow," Calvin replied, stepping away from the threshold to reveal Archie.

"This is quite a place you got here!" Archie said.

Jughead smiled. "Archie! You made it! Where's Veronica?"

"Your grandmother swept her away to finish getting ready for the ball," Archie answered. "Are you wearing a _tux_!?"

"I'll leave you two to catch up," Calvin told them. "See you in the ballroom."

"The ballroom?" Archie repeated. "You have a _ballroom_?"

"I'll give you the grand tour tomorrow," Jughead promised as he laced his sneakers and then tied them.

"So, have you made your decision yet? Are you going to be the next Santa Claus? You don't call, you don't write. I have no clue what's going on with you these days!"

"The same goes for you! You do realize _you_ could pick up the phone and send me a text! How are things going with you and the lovely Miss Lodge?"

"Things are good. I think I'm going to marry her," Archie replied. "Is there any chance you've got anything in the way of engagement rings around here?"

"We have a fine selection of dress up jewelry in the way of the Disney princess collection but I'm afraid you're going to need some help from my friends at Tiffany's for your engagement ring needs. You see, I've had a peek at Veronica's wish list and she expects nothing less than the best."

Archie groaned. "Despite her penchant for material things, she's still on the nice list. Right?"

"Just because she likes the finer things in life doesn't make her any less of a nice girl!" Jughead assured him." She's done a lot for people this year without an angle and without expecting anything in return."

"So? What about you and Betty?" Archie asked as they left Jughead's room and started down the hallway.

Jughead blushed. "What about us?"

"You're totally smitten!"

" _Smitten_!? You heard that from Veronica!" Jughead said, nudging him slightly.

Archie opened his mouth to reply when they ran into Betty and Veronica walking down the same hallway, their arms linked together. It looked like they'd been friends forever as they chatted animatedly.

Jughead paused when he saw Betty, his heart stopping in his chest. She looked beautiful in a long, red tulle dress that fell off her shoulders and her hair was in a messy bun at the nape of her neck. Veronica was equally dressed to the nines in a sleek, strapless black dress and with her hair slicked back.

But he only had eyes for Betty.

Archie jabbed him in the ribs. "You're staring!" he whispered loudly.

"You have to say something now!" Veronica added as she wound her arm through Archie's.

For once in his life, Jughead was speechless. "Um. Erm. . . you look. . . wow!"

"Not bad for somebody who lives in sweaters and jeans?" Betty said.

Jughead nodded and then shook his head. "No. No you even look. . . I like the way you look in jeans and sweaters."

"Awww, aren't you two the cutest!" Veronica cooed, looking at them both.

"Young love," Archie added, batting his eyes at Jughead.

"You're as young as me!" Jughead reminded him, not even bothering to add that he and Betty weren't in love. He didn't think he could do it without tripping over his words or making a complete fool of himself and the last thing he wanted to do was give Betty a false impression of how he felt or didn't feel.

Love.

Love was too strong of a word.

Betty took Jughead by the arm. "Come on Juggie, we better get going before people start looking for us. You are in charge of opening the first dance, after all."

"Jughead opening a dance!? Now this I've got to see!" Archie said.

 **.**

Jughead was sure he would forget a step in the very basic first dance that Snowflake had taught to him and Betty. But his pretty assistant-in-training was a good partner, whispering the steps in his ear every single time he fumbled them a little.

He looked at her and it took everything in him not to kiss away her red lipstick. He would have if all eyes weren't on them. He hadn't kissed her since that afternoon in the library and it had been all he thought about, aside from the choice he was going to have to make.

The song ended and he dipped Betty, there was applause and then a Sia song about Santa Claus coming for everybody started to play. The first people out on the dance floor were Noel and Ivy, looking very much like Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney in the last scene of _White Christmas_ in their formal attire.

"Come with me," Betty whispered when all the guests were preoccupied, she slipped her fingers through his and led him into the hallway.

When she was certain that they were alone, she pushed him up into a dark, secluded corner and kissed him.

"What was that for?" he asked breathlessly.

"You're just so cute," Betty answered, fiddling with his bowtie. "And you're doing a good job, I know this is the last thing you want to do, like, _ever_. But you've been handling it very nicely."

Jughead smiled. "What do you mean? Kissing you is exactly what I want to be doing right now."

"I mean. . . getting dressed up and mingling with people," Betty replied.

Jughead shrugged. "The tuxedo is a first but the Christmas ball is a family tradition. You're making it more bearable than it's ever been though. I don't know how I'd do any of this without you."

Betty kissed him again. "I'm going to be here the whole time. Even afterwards, if you decide to stay."

"I know, you already told me. It always seems like we're back to square one," Jughead said.

"Make a decision soon and we can move forward," Betty told him. "Once we know what's going on, we just need to figure out logistics. Now come on, before people realize we're gone and start to look for us." she paused and looked at him. "It's not an ultimatum. No matter what you choose, I want to be with you."

 **TBC. . .**

 **.**

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you for your continuous reviews! I hope you guys had a VERY Merry Christmas! My nephew was born this morning at 7 and he is adorable AF. Leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I'll post the last chapter soon.**

 **Until Next Time!**

 **Love,**

 **Holly, 12/26/2017**


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